


I Could Fall In Love

by myungluv



Category: One Piece
Genre: A LOT of Angst, Alternate Universe - College/University, Big Gay Love Story, College AU, Enemies to Lovers, M/M, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 19:35:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29283885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myungluv/pseuds/myungluv
Summary: Roronoa Zoro is a star athelete in college. His everyday life was monotonous and plain, just like his love life. Zoro was convinced that love wasn't for him, until he meets his new classmate Vinsmoke Sanji. Sanji caught Zoro's attention instantly. It didn't take much for the two to near each other and find themselves more compatible than they thought.
Relationships: Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji
Comments: 10
Kudos: 35





	1. Chapter 1

The morning sun crept in though the open windows, brightening the room as the sky awoke from it's slumber. The change in atmosphere was enough to awaken Roronoa Zoro. It was roughly 5 a.m. It signified the beginning of a new day, and Zoro was ready to take on the challenges today had to offer. He would accomplish his ambition no matter what. For both him and Kuina, his childhood friend whom had passed away of an incurable illness. He was going to become the greatest basketball player, _he made a promise to Kuina_.

Zoro got up, yawning briefly before immediately getting to making his bed. His roommate and ~~one of his best friends~~ was fast asleep, enjoying the blissful morning sun.

' _He doesn't ever change._ ' Zoro thought to himself as he pulled the covers over Luffy before continuing the task at hand.

How he and Luffy became friends was a long story, and despite how Luffy had all the qualities of a person that Zoro tended to stay away from, Luffy seemed to be an exception. They also had another person in their friend group, Nami. She had her own respective dorm, which she of course shared with another one of the students.

Zoro finished up, putting his /now/ fluffed pillow onto his bed neatly. Just the way Zoro liked it. Despite differing opinions, Zoro was very clean. He liked being neat and tidy. He liked having everything neatly organized and arranged. His schedule also applied. Zoro followed a routine everyday, maintaining it the same. People would just assume he was dirty and messy because of how sweaty he looked at times. Of course, he showered after working out and practice.

Speaking of which, Zoro was just getting ready to head over to the gym first thing in the morning. He'd have breakfast afterwards.

____________________

The time for Zoro to attend one of his two classes for the day rolled around. Zoro was walking around campus, roaming the spacious walkways the school had to offer. It was quite enjoyable, having some time to himself before arriving into the lecture room. Soon enough, Zoro arrived. He silently sat down on his preferred seat and took out his materials. Again, people would assume that Zoro was dumb because he was a star athlete. Prejudice always got the best of people, some condescending students have tried to humiliate Zoro by asking him academical questions.

Zoro was aware that he couldn't solemnly rely on his sports scholarship, and Zoro knew he wasn't stupid. He was fully capable of doing anything he set himself to, and he knew that too.

In all honesty, Zoro liked that people assumed he was dumb. It only meant that he could enjoy proving them wrong even more.

Zoro's train of thought was interrupted as a certain redhead elbowed his ribs to get his attention.

"Oh, hi Nami." Zoro greeted his best friend, his monotone tone being as evident usual.

"At least pretend to be happy to see me. Good morning Zoro. Is Luffy late again?" Nami responded, setting her handbag down and taking out her own materials.

"Yes. I didn't bother to wake him up. It would be too early to anyways." Zoro answered, scribbling notes down as the professor spoke in the background.

"Yeah. You're a gym freak Zoro. You get up at 5 a.m. everyday to go workout, without miss." Nami teased, beginning to write down key notes.

Nami was incredibly smart and talented. Zoro could admit that Nami was pretty, but there was more to her than just her looks. She was the one of the best and most loyal friends when push came to shove. He met both her and Luffy in his freshman year of high school and they have been best friends since.

"I don't mind. I have to be fit if I want to continue to play. You know that." Zoro shrugged, copying down the powerpoint that the professor was going through.

All of a sudden, a student walked into the lecture room. A student that Zoro didn't recognize. Zoro had memorized the faces of everyone in his classes and he never recalled seeing the student that stood before his eyes.

A tall and slim blonde had just walked in, his immediately noticeable feature being his curly eyebrow/s.

Certainly something you didn't see everyday.

The blonde paused and scanned the room, as if they were making sure to see if they were in the right room.

What happened next completely contradicted what Zoro had been thinking.

The blonde's eyes landed on Nami and their face immediately lit up. Not to mention, they turned redder than Zoro believed was possible.

The blonde ran over and took a seat next to Nami.

"Hello mellorine." The blonde began.

"My name is Sanji. It is a pleasure to meet you." The blonde continued, placing a delicate peck on Nami's hand. Nami pulled her hand away and looked clearly bothered. Zoro rolled his eyes but refrained from intervening. He knew Nami was strong and knew how to defend herself, Zoro would help her if things went the wrong way though.

"Hello Sanji, my name is Nami." Nami responded, avoiding eye contact with the blonde creeping up on her.

"Come with me gorgeous, I can treat you better than he ever could." Sanji shamelessly said, taking Nami's hand again despite her ignoring him the first time.

Zoro couldn't help but furrow his eyebrows in annoyance.

_Who the fuck did this blonde think they were?_

He didn't like Nami and could care less if the blonde liked his best friend, but the assumption that they were together managed to get on Zoro's nerves.

"We're not together." Nami replied firmly, pulling her hand away in a harsher way than before.

"That makes things easier then. Get away from this **_marimo_** and let me take you out beautiful." Sanji smiled, getting too cocky with Nami for his own good.

The blonde enunciated the word with full emphasis and turned to give Zoro a dirty look as he did so.

_Seriously what the fuck was their problem?_

Zoro hadn't uttered a word and the blonde already treated him as a sort of archenemy. It wasn't too long ago that Zoro became acquainted with the blonde and he already managed to piss him off beyond words. Zoro remained quiet though, fixated on the lesson and taking notes that would help with his homework.

"I'm not interested so piss off before I kick your ass." Nami rejected, giving him a glare that made it clear that she wanted Sanji away from her.

"You're as beautiful as ever, even when you're being harsh Nami." Sanji smiled, but now creating a distance in compliance to Nami's words.

_Was this blonde a masochist or something?_ Zoro wondered momentarily before returning his focus onto the lecture.

Zoro saw out of the corner of his eye that Sanji had now found a seat for himself a seat away from Nami.

_How convenient._

Zoro let out a long sigh, realizing it was about to be the beginning of an annoying semester.


	2. Chapter 2

Zoro was glad that lunchtime had finally came around. He would finally have time to himself and think out how he was going to deal with the... _obstacle_.

Sanji ended up flirting the lecture away with Nami. Truthfully, it was solemnly one-sided. Sanji's shitty attempts to get Nami's attention only pissed her off. It was incredibly hard to focus. Here Zoro thought that Luffy was as annoying as it gets, but Sanji seemed to beat Luffy easily. Speaking of which, Luffy never showed up for class. Not that it was anything new, but Zoro would have preferred to have Luffy begging him to copy his notes rather than be glared at all class.

Zoro aggressively chewed on his salad, his gaze lazily landing in a random direction. He was eating alone. That was a first.

Sanji invited Nami out to eat, and being the cheapstake she was, she accepted.

_Why did this curly eyebrow-ed blonde just show up out of nowhere and decide to hold a grudge on me just for sitting next to Nami. He had some nerve._

There was a lot of things that people wrongfully assumed of Zoro, he could make a list of them all. Zoro didn't like to get himself involved in fights, but this new student was testing him. Zoro didn't get himself involved with anyone and didn't speak much to others outside of Luffy and Nami. He didn't do anything he didn't deem necessary.

"Hi Zoro." Nami interrupted, inviting herself to an empty seat next to him.

"Oh it's you Nami. Wait. I thought you went to go eat with blondie." Zoro responded, lifting his eyes up to look at his friend. She looked... tired.

"I ditched him after I finished eating. If I hear 'mellorine' one more time, I'm going to lose it." Nami explained, stealing a sandwich from Zoro's tray. Zoro disregarded it and listened carefully.

"I see. He just doesn't seem to understand. You've said plenty of times that you're not interested." Zoro said between forkfuls of salad.

"You can say that again. But what can I say? I'm cute, he just can't help it." Nami beamed cockily, now taking a sip of Zoro's water. It was something completely normal for the two, along with Luffy.

"Zorooooooooooo." A voice called out, all too familiar.

Luffy rushed over, flashing a giddy smile at both Zoro and Nami.

"Luffy." Zoro smiled, hardly.

"How are you?" Zoro continued, offering Luffy the remainder of his lunch.

"I feel brand new. I got to sleep a lot, although I did miss class. I'll make it up sometime." Luffy shrugged, taking Zoro's food without second thought.

"Luffy, you have to be more responsible. The only reason you haven't been kicked out is because your grandfather is one of the staff and covers for your absences. Seriously, get it together." Nami scolded, giving Luffy a whack in the head.

"OW! NAMI THAT HURT!" Luffy whined out, rubbing his head whilst eating. Zoro hadn't noticed when he had sat down. It didn't matter though. He was unpredictable at times.

"I will though. For the sake of my ambition." Luffy finished, determination in his eyes.

Luffy aimed to graduate as an honors student. At this rate, he'd be kicked out any day now.

"She's right Luffy. You may be smart, but you're lazy and procrastinate too much. Not to mention you have too many absences. If you really want to make honors students at graduation, you have to show up to class." Zoro butted in, taking one last sip of his water before letting the two keep it.

"I don't need to be lectured by you two. I know." Luffy huffed, grabbing the water since the sandwich Zoro gave him was long gone.

" _Maybe if you actually tried to show up, I wouldn't have to_." Zoro grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"Well, I always have next class. Anything interesting happen?" Luffy asked, changing the topic all too easily. Typical.

"There's a new student that won't leave Nami alone. He's a real pain in the ass." Zoro spoke with a brutally honest demeanor.

"O HO! A new student." Luffy grinned, being too excited over nothing. At least, in Zoro's opinion.

"Is that true Nami?" Luffy questioned, turning to ask the redhead directly.

"Yeah. He keeps trying to get me to go out with him. He's not my type though. I like rich guys." Nami answered truthfully, her eyes glimmering with desire.

"That sounds like you. Have you told him that?" Luffy smiled, laughing for a brief moment before calming down again.

"Of course you idiot. He's so damn persistent though. Luckily I haven't seen him for a while." Nami retorted, rolling her eyes with annoyance. Nami has a reject streak, having rejected a good amount of guys who were interested in her, none of them have fit her taste though. Both Zoro and Luffy were sure that no guy could.

Zoro eyed his cellphone, noting that it was time for him to take his leave.

"Later you two. I have to get to the dorm to get my work done and I'm hitting the gym afterwards." Zoro stated, flinging his backpack over his shoulder and taking his trash to throw away on his way.

"You'll die one day from too much working out, but video chat me later." Nami proclaimed, waving him goodbye.

"See ya Zoro." Luffy uttered simply, waving from a distance.

He was getting more food Zoro assumed. A sandwich wouldn't be suffice for the black haired student. He probably ate more than an elephant in a day.

"I will I will. Stay safe from that creep Nami, and Luffy, don't eat too much this time. I don't want to have to carry you to the dorm again." Zoro finished, walking further and further away from his best friends.

"I WONT!" Luffy yelled, now sprinting towards the food booth.

Zoro continued his walk to the dorm, getting lost in deep thought to pay much attention to his surroundings. The sun was shining brightly and the campus was as lively as ever.

_It was just another typical day, perfectly scheduled and neat just the way Zoro liked it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again,  
> I couldn't help but update earlier than planned. Unfortunately, this is a filler, but the next chapter will be way more interesting. I have a lot of ideas for this fanfic heh. The first chapter was too short for my liking, but they'll get longer as the time passes. I'll be updating weekly from now on, most likely every Monday. I'll figure it out by the time I publish chapter 3. Thank you so much for reading <3


	3. Chapter 3

Zoro had left the gym, on his way to the dorm to take a shower. As usual, he had been sweating heavily. Zoro did his best to wash up in the gym restroom, but it didn’t compare to a refreshing shower. Sure, he could’ve saved time by showering in the gym’s showers, but Zoro refused to. Who knew how dirty it was?

‘ _Not even dead._ ’ Zoro thought to himself, his face scrunching with disgust at the mere thought. He shook his head, reaching the floor the dorm he stayed in was located in.

_There was... moving boxes...? ... and ... a suitcase?_ **_WAIT. Was Luffy finally kicked out and forced to leave?_ ** Zoro’s thoughts jumbled up, but Zoro dashed towards the dorm. Sure he would like Luffy way more if he stayed quiet at times and was more responsible, but that was his best friend of 5 years (along with Nami, but that’s besides the point.)

“LUUUFFYYYY.” Zoro called out, but once he looked inside the dorm, he was met with... disappointment.

“Yo.” Luffy greeted, simply raising up his hand instead of waving.

“You’re not getting kicked out...?” Zoro questioned, his expression changing from shocked to quizzical.

“Oh, no. I attended my class. We have a new roommate. ...Something about there not being enough dorms. I can’t remember.” Luffy explained calmly, taking a brief pause to think,

“Mmmm... I believe his name was Sanji. He fit your description of the new student. I guess that’s him. You were totally wrong though. He’s not a pain in the ass. I tried to make small talk with him but he barely answered.” Luffy finished, looking around the room.

Zoro was about to speak, when he was interrupted by the blonde.

“I’ll be your roommate from now on. You two don’t look like the cleanest, but try your best. My name’s Sanji... JUST Sanji. Refer to me by my last name and I’ll kick your ass.” Sanji stated, his prejudicial comment striking Zoro. Zoro ignored it, but took note of the information he was just given. He safely assumed that it would be useful later on.

“Luffy, may I take the bottom bunk? I noted you have a bunk bed unlike **_marimo_ ** here.” Sanji continued, eyeing Zoro icyly. Zoro was on edge. The green haired male had an extensive amount of patience, and had put up with a fair amount of insults in the past, but Sanji was getting on his last nerve.

“Yeah that’s fine. I don’t use it and we won’t have to move anything that way.” Luffy casually replied, beaming a smile at the blonde before getting busy digging in their shared mini fridge.

“Are you hungry?” Sanji asked Luffy, eyeing the way Luffy gobbled down takeout leftovers.

“If you are, I can make you something. Eating too much takeout can make you fat.” Sanji added, giving the ravenette a small smile.

“OH REALLY? Please do.” Luffy chirped, face lighting up brightly. He gave Sanji another smile, bigger than the last.

“Okay, wait here. Let me set up my ‘kitchen’ and I’ll get to it.” Sanji answered, taking out a cigarette from his pocket and nestling it between his lips.

“ **_Marimo_ **. Open the window. Or else the smoke alarm will go off.” Sanji ordered Zoro, causing Zoro to get angry.

“Piss off blondie. You think you can irritate me all class this morning, call me **_marimo_ ** and still tell me to open the window for you.” Zoro grumbled, getting up from his desk chair.

Sanji paused, glaring at him before responding, “...Yeah? Now do it.”

Zoro rolled his eyes, but opened the window anyways. Zoro didn’t like being ordered around, but he rationalized that it was better to open the window than listen to the smoke alarm go off.

___________________

Zoro walked out of the shower, he was fully dressed. It was nice to finally get to wash up after the delay. Thanks to **_Sanji_ ** moving in, Zoro’s schedule was ruined. Not like he was going to do anything important, but he missed out on his time to nap.

_What a drag._ Zoro grumbled in his head, readying the clothes in his hamper to take to laundry. Zoro already planned his laundry day ahead of time and made sure that the machines were available all throughout his wash cycle.

Zoro opened his cabinet, taking out his backpack which specifically held his laundry materials. Just detergent, dryer sheets, stain remover, and softener.

Sanji had occupied himself reading for the past half an hour, but perked up when he saw Zoro tossing his laundry over his shoulder.

“Can you do mine for me?” Sanji asked, getting back to reading whilst he spoke.

“No. Do your own.” Zoro remarked monotonously, now grabbing his backpack.

“Oh come on marimo. Do your roommate a favor. I’ll do one for you in return.” Sanji insisted, pointing at a small pile of laundry Sanji had in his hamper.

_Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to do the blonde a favor. He did say he would do him a favor in return._

“Would you do anything?” Zoro questioned, trying to make sure if the favor was worth doing or not. 

“Anything.” Sanji answered plainly, smiling victoriously.

“Fine. Get me a six pack of beer. I’ll leave your laundry on your bed.” Zoro finished, making his way to open the dorm door before returning to take Sanji’s dirty laundry.

____________________

Sanji walked out of the bathroom, looking up at his bed to see that his clothes were nicely folded in a neat pile. Not to mention they were separated by whites and colored. Sanji grabbed one of his white shirts, examining it carefully. Sanji analyzed it once more, questioning if the shirt was really his.

It was his size, the same brand, and the same color... but the deep stain that used to be in the middle was gone. Zeff had kicked him in the stomach after stepping on spaghetti sauce a customer dropped one day. You could say Sanji was having a little argument with the customer... he started it so Sanji didn’t care.

Sanji looked around to make sure the coast was clear. Luffy went out with some friends about an hour ago and Zoro was nowhere to be seen. The blonde sniffed the shirt deeply, taking in the beautiful aroma that lingered on the fabric.

‘ _Marimo couldn’t have done that. He probably paid someone to do his laundry and mine. Whatever, as long as it’s clean._ ’ Sanji convinced himself, putting his laundry away in his drawer. Sanji had easily made himself comfortable, arranging all his belongings in no time.

Sanji had left the six pack of beers on Zoro’s bed. Sanji didn’t intend on keeping his part of the share in the first place, but he needed to make a quick stop to the convenience store for a pack of cigarettes. Since he was already there, he figured he'd be generous and actually bring the beer with him.

Zoro walked in, startling Sanji for a split second.

“Why were you gone? Did you get lost? Anyways, beers on your bed.” Sanji teased, starting up on what Zoro assumed was dinner.

“None of your business, and no I did NOT get lost. Well... thanks I guess.” Zoro replied, rolling his eyes. Zoro proceeded to put his laundry away.

Sanji focused his eyes on the marimo, seeing that sure enough his laundry was also neatly and beautifully folded and separated in the same manner.

“It took a lot of work but I got rid of that ugly stain. Oh and I took the time to fold your laundry since it would get wrinkled badly if I didn’t. Your clothes are made of delicate fabrics so don’t wash them carelessly.” Zoro mentioned, taking out his own book and gazing upon the words on the paperback. His eyes scanned the lines, investing him in interest.

“You did the laundry?!” Sanji exclaimed, looking shocked to hear what Zoro just said.

Zoro grinned. _Can’t bring yourself to believe it huh?_

“Yeah? Why so surprised?” Zoro smirked secretly, covering his mouth with his book to hide how much he just enjoyed seeing Sanji’s reaction.

“You just- don’t look like the type. I thought- some girl did it for you.-” Sanji stammered, at loss for words.

_Oh this was too good._

“Why? Because I’m a man? I can do laundry. You think that women are the only ones capable to? You can’t and you’re sexist?” Zoro rubbed in, finding it as fair payback.

“Shut up mosshead. I can do laundry and I’m NOT sexist.” Sanji shot back, clearly embarrassed.

“Well based on your clothes, you suck. Also you judged me based on appearance. The way I look doesn’t equate my capabilities.” Zoro retorted, watching Sanji’s every move. He probably felt awkward and speechless like everyone else who had misjudged him.

“Well at least I can wash them. They’re clean and don’t smell bad, so I take it as clean laundry.” Sanji explained, easing up a bit. He was no longer dying of embarrassment. Zoro was impressed he kept on cooking that way.

____________________

Luffy walked in the dorm, waving goodbye to whomever he had been out with that evening. Sanji had just finished cooking and was just about done serving himself.

“Luffy, you’re just in time.” Sanji announced, waving hello at the ravenette who had just entered.

“Oh? For what?” Luffy asked confusedly, sitting down at his own desk before kicking back and relaxing on his chair.

“I made dinner. Want some?” Sanji answered, offering Luffy the bowl he had prepared for himself.

“May I? Thank you Sanji, you’re amazing. Your cooking is the best.” Luffy chimed, taking the bowl from Sanji and getting to eating as soon as he set it down on the desk.

____________________

  
  


Sanji didn’t have a particular reason to act the way he did around Zoro. Nami had explained to him that her and Zoro were best friends since 9th grade, and that they weren’t together and would never be. Sanji had heard a lot about Zoro, who was known as a basketball prodigy. He was known and recognized hugely by the public. Maybe Sanji just thought it would be fun to bother the green haired male.

Sanji himself couldn’t find a reason behind his actions. That was the most logical one he could come up with. Whatever it was, it was surely interesting, either for the better or worse. Sanji quickly observed that Zoro was a plain person. He wasn’t very social and did all his assignments. Not to mention that he worked out in his free time.

The only thing Sanji could say Zoro truly enjoyed was... beer.

However, Sanji constantly found himself paying mind to his new roommate. He paid attention to what he did, to when he left, to when he stood up, to what he ate, when he drank water, and so on. It wasn’t something that Sanji would do, but when it came to this shitty marimo, Sanji would stop what he’s doing to quietly observe; and if he was busy, glance.

“Thanks for the beer.” Zoro told Sanji, causing to flinch with startlement.

_When did he get here?_ Sanji wondered.

“Oh uh. You’re welcome. It’s no big deal, you don’t have to thank me you know.” Sanji shrugged, looking away to avoid further awkwardness.

“Are you okay? I wasn’t going to do anything so you didn’t have to flinch.” Zoro said, but his thoughts were a mess.

‘ _It was a natural response. It was really quick and filled with fear_.’ Zoro noted, eyeing the blonde out of the corner of his eye. Zoro was intrigued now.

“You caught me off guard.” Sanji lied defensively, sitting up to look at Zoro.

“And to think that I was actually worried about you. But. Thank you again. I haven’t had a drink in ages. The basketball coach, Hawkeye, doesn't let me.” Zoro repeated, rolling his eyes at first but still tried to sound a tad bit genuine.

“Worried about me? For what? I’ll kick your ass. Like I care. We both met out part of the deal so you can leave me alone now.” Sanji hissed, bringing Zoro a set of questions to mind.

_Why did he want to talk to Sanji? Why did he worry about the way he flinched?_ **_What was Sanji’s problem?_ **

“Forget it cook. You can disappear for all I care.” Zoro bluffed, getting to bed and falling fast asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. _It was his designated time to go to sleep_.

____________________

Zoro awoke, on schedule. He scanned the room, his dark black eyes observing every detail carefully.

_Sanji wasn’t there._

Zoro’s eyes widened, his onyx optic hues searching the room once more, looking for the blonde. Yet again, nothing. Well there was Luffy who was yet again fast asleep, but not Sanji.

_Whatever. Sanji can be wherever he wants. Why should I care?_ Zoro told himself, letting out a deep breath. Somehow, his heart felt like it had felt into his stomach and his intestines had been tied into knots. Probably because he went to sleep without dinner.

“Mornin’ marimo.” A familiar voice greeted, making Zoro turn around instantly. Sure enough, it was that shit cook. He had some shitty grin plastered all over his face.

“Tsk. Morning curly eyebrow.” Zoro replied, rolling his eyes, habitually.

“Why are you up so early.” Sanji asked, setting down a bag into the bedside desk.

“This is the time I always wake up at.” Zoro explained plainly, already busy making his bed.

“I didn’t think you were capable of waking up before 10 a.m.” Sanji shrugged, puffing out smoke from his cigarette.

“It’s 5 a.m. Give it a break for once. But I’m glad to ruin your expectations.” Zoro groaned, ending their conversation by closing the bathroom door. The shower started.

‘ _I thought I’d have some time to myself this way_.’ Sanji complained to himself, turning on his portable stove to make himself breakfast.

Sanji sighed, preoccupied, whisking eggs in a bowl. Sanji had planned out breakfast beforehand, leaving rice ready the prior night. The skillet was sizzling, and Sanji proceeded to pour diced onion onto the preheated oil. The cook stirred the onion. Afterwards, he rapidly cut the chicken breast beside him, adding the pieces onto the skillet as well.

‘ _Tsk. I’ve lost my touch_.’ Sanji thought, getting frustrated at the fact that he fell slightly behind.

With a spoon, he stirred the onion and chicken some more to prevent it from burning. Sanji continued, adding sliced mushrooms and ketchup after the chicken had cooked. The rice came following along shortly after. Some dashes of salt and pepper were sprinkled on and stirred, _for flavor_.

Next was moving onto the other skillet, which was almost done heating up. The oil was already placed, and Sanji had his egg ready.

_Almost done. I’ll save rice for Luffy. I’ll make him omurice when he wakes up later._

Thirty seconds passed by, and Sanji poured the egg onto the skillet. The bottom side began cooking. Before it cooked thoroughly, Sanji put the rice in the middle of the egg surface, wrapping it with the outer sides. Sanji used the spoon to fix the shape, and finally took a plate.

‘ _Looks good_.’ Sanji smiled, carefully placing a plate on top of the skillet. Once the blonde was sure that the omurice was in position, he flipped it. Sanji retrieved the plate and set down the skillet. He’d wash the dishes after breakfast.

The egg was a nice yellow color. It wasn’t dark nor undercooked; it was perfectly cooked. Sanji smiled proudly. Cooking was an art. Even the simplest of dishes had to be prepared with the fullest effort.

Sanji took a napkin and a fork from his utensils drawer, patting excess oil off before discarding the napkin. Sanji noted that he made his omurice too big, too much food for his liking. He cut it in half, taking a plate to set it aside.

_Omurice is best eaten once it has been prepared. I wonder if marimo would like the other half._

Ironically, the bathroom opened at that precise moment. Zoro walked out without a word.

‘ _Shit. I left my shirt somewhere_.’ Zoro cursed internally, drying his hair with his towel. Zoro was currently shirtless, having incidentally left his shirt somewhere along the way. Sanji turned his head to face Zoro almost immediately, his eyes landing on Zoro ~~and his... shirtless body~~. The blonde’s gaze was glued on Zoro’s abs staring at them attentively.

‘How is it possible to be that muscular? He looks like a professional bodybuilder, what the fuck. What does he do to look like that?’ Sanji wondered, questions surging in his head one after another. **_For whatever reason, Sanji just couldn’t help looking at Zoro’s torso. Something drew him forward and captivated his attention._**

Sanji looked up, and his eyes met with Zoro's. They made eye contact, but they both looked away suddenly. I _t was only for a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello,  
> Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I have decided that I will have no posting schedule. I couldn't help posting earlier than planned :'). I think this fic will turn out to be on the longer side, I estimate that it will be about a good 10 chapters. Nothing is for sure though. Comments and feedback is appreciated. I will do my best to get back to all of them as soon as possible.


	4. Chapter 4

Zoro stepped out of the shower, feeling anew. He preoccupied himself with getting dressed, routinely. It was of second nature. Zoro got lost in the abyss, his body instinctively moving without him having to pay attention. The process was broken when the task wasn’t fulfilled, he had either forgotten or left his shirt behind.

‘ _How convenient_.’ Zoro grumbled internally, resorting to walking out of the bathroom to retrieve his clothing. For as inconvenient as it was. He had no other option.

‘ _No one is awake right?_ ’ Zoro reasoned, trying to give himself the courage to walk out.

Zoro wasn’t insecure about his body, but he had a nasty scar from chest to torso, which he didn’t want to be questioned on. It was too much of a hassle to have to explain what happened.

Zoro sighed, opening the door without hesitation, his expectations soon being opposed. The room was filled with the scent of breakfast, specifically eggs with a hint of onion. Surely enough, Sanji was wide awake — and now his gaze was glued onto his body.

‘ _Just don’t ask_ ’ Zoro thought to himself, not saying a single word. Hopefully Sanji would just mind his business and go on about his day with no questions asked.

The awkward silence made the single moment feel like an eternity, an electric rush running up Zoro’s body. Zoro decided that if Sanji wasn’t going to break the silence, he would.

“Morning.” Zoro simply greeted, with his usual monotonous tone.

“Morning Marimo. Up and early as always?” Sanji grinned, staring at his usual teasing.

“Yeah.” Zoro replied blandly, taking the short sleeved button up he had left behind on his bed and putting it on.

“Nasty scar ya’ got there.”

_ … And Sanji just had to mention it. _

“It’s none of your business.”

“It must’ve hurt.”   
  


Zoro rolled his eyes. He had brought more attention than he should’ve given it.

“What’d you make?” Zoro asked, dodging the previous topic. It was quite obvious, but Zoro didn’t feel like explaining the past regarding his scar.

Sanji quirked an eyebrow, taking note of how Zoro was quick to avoid talking about the scar.

“I made omurice. I made too much for myself but now I can give it to Nami-swan!” Sanji half lied, a giddy smile forming on his lips after Nami’s name rolled out of his lips.

“She’s so gorgeous, she deserves nothing but the best nourishment! I will help her maintain her beauty with my food!” Sanji blabbered, irritating Zoro. He didn’t care that Sanji took a liking to Nami, but he didn’t want to have to hear it for himself.

' _Why_ __did I even ask_ — _ ' Zoro groaned to himself, resisting the urge to show any visible irritation.

“I see.” Zoro said bluntly, planning on ending the conversation there. He decided not to respond unless it was absolutely necessary.

Sanji was happily packing the omurice for Nami, adding in a few additional things. He ended up lying to Zoro. It wouldn’t be as good as freshly made, but it would be embarrassing to change it now.

Zoro flung his gym bag over his shoulder, and started his way to the door. He always prepared it beforehand so it would be ready for the next use.

“Going to the gym again?” Sanji questioned, watching him as he went. Zoro dismissed the question, the answer being more than obvious.

Zoro glanced at his phone, checking the time. _5:25 a.m._

‘ _Tsk. I’m behind schedule._ ’ Zoro frowned, opening the door whilst he put his phone away in his bag. Zoro dashed to the gym, to give him an opportunity to workout as much as possible. Without a word, Zoro had left, leaving Sanji with his words in his mouth. Sanji grumbled, annoyed with the fact that Zoro ignored his question, as useless as it was.

__________________

  
  


One year passed by, and Zoro and Sanji had formed some sort of friendship. Zoro had silently observed Sanji over the months and took note of everything he saw; behaviors, reactions, likes, dislikes, time he slept, time he woke up ~~(only because it coincidentally aligned with Zoro’s schedule)~~ , what he did in his free time, his persistent flirting, and so on.

Zoro came to realize that Sanji didn’t truly look for love. Whenever Sanji approached a woman, _it was his libido talking, not his heart_. It seemed like he only offered them whatever he had at hand and whatever the woman desired to win a shot to sleep with them. Ironically, Sanji just ended up being used and rejected again and again. Though didn’t stop the adamant pervert. Idiot.

Sanji was sitting on the edge of Zoro’s bed, talking about the woman he met most recently. Zoro didn’t pay it much mind, but Sanji had no one else to blabber to. Zoro didn’t care about the women Sanji encountered, but Luffy refused to listen at all. He was too impatient and got bored easily. Sanji didn’t ask if he could tell Zoro about them. The blonde would simply come over and go on and on about their beauty and how their beauty was a gift from the heavens and how it was a message from the universe and whatnot.

Zoro believed that deep down Sanji was aware that he didn’t care, but his half listening was sufficient for the cook to talk like there was no tomorrow. Zoro didn’t  _ completely _ mind, since whenever Sanji talked about women his face would light up with joy and he’d smile. It was something Zoro was drawn to seeing. Sanji’s bright and warm smile.

Sanji was like the sun in those moments, bright and happy. Whenever Sanji smiled during his blabbering, Zoro would look at him from the corner of his eye and watch endlessly. He would lose himself in those glimmering blue eyes, filled with enthusiasm and desire. Zoro himself couldn’t explain why he would silently watch Sanji beam happily, but all he knew is that he felt a sense of warmth when he did.

The two ended up spending a lot of time together. Between having a few classes together, living in the same dorm, having to work together for chores, and so on, Zoro had grown used to Sanji’s presence.

“Ay Marimo, were you listening to me?” Sanji snapped, waving his hand violently in front of Zoro’s face. Zoro rolled his eyes annoyedly, he was being shook back into reality. It happened often enough that Sanji had to make sure Zoro wasn’t lost in the abyss.

“No. Sorry. What did you say?” Zoro muttered, shrugging it off.

“I SAID. I’m talking to this new girl. She wants to go on a date with me. Where should I take her?” Sanji repeated, a clearly annoyed expression on his face.

“How should I know? Why are you asking me?” Zoro grumbled, rolling his eyes and he folded his arms on his chest.

“I’ve heard that a lot of girls at school are after you. I’ve assumed you’ve dated before. So give me some advice.” Sanji explained nonchalantly. Clearly he was going to try and pry answers out of him. Zoro took a long sigh, thinking about how he was going to phrase what he was about to say.

“I don’t care about them. I haven’t dated before and I don’t plan on doing so. I’m not interested in women.” Zoro answered, hoping that Sanji would get the message.

“If I were you, I would take out all the ladies who liked me. Not interested in women? Every guy is. You just haven’t found the right woman for you.” Sanji began, managing to annoy Zoro with the last bit. It was as if he insisted Zoro he was, when Zoro himself knew. _Love wasn’t for Zoro and that was the end of it_.

“Look curly eyebrow. I said I’m not interested in women. That’s it. You cannot come here and tell me what I like and don’t like. The girls who like me don’t know what I’m like. They don’t know me. They just like me for my looks and it’s honestly so stupid. I’m more than just my appearance you know. If you want an answer so bad then take her out to eat, take her shopping, take her to a park. I DON’T KNOW! JUST DO SOMETHING! ANYTHING! FUCK!” Zoro snapped, grabbing Sanji by the collar and yelling directly in the blonde’s face. Zoro was furious. _How could Sanji act so high and mighty and try to decide something Zoro knew better than anyone?_ Only Zoro knew himself for certain.

Sanji couldn’t help but swell up with anger. _He was just trying to encourage Marimo. There was no reason for him to get mad. Zoro would someday find a girlfriend and be happy and get married to her at some point._ It was simple.

“Tsk. It’s not my fault you’ve never had a girlfriend. Don’t take it out on me. Have some faith dude.” Sanji growled, pushing Zoro away and angrily fixing his shirt collar.

Sanji walked to the balcony of the dorm, the fresh air hitting his face. He looked out into the sky, his hands habitually taking out a cigarette. Sanji placed the cigarette on his lips, letting it sit there for a moment before lighting it.

“Marimo is such a pain in the ass. I mean come on. Every guy has his needs.” Sanji muttered, taking a long puff of his cigarette. He exhaled, releasing the gray smoke into the air.

“Leave him. I say it because personally, I’m the same.” Luffy interjected, showing up from behind.

“I overheard when I walked it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello,  
> This chapter isn't as long as I would've liked, but the next chapter will definitely be longer. It will be soon moving in to the angst heheh ;)). I wanted to cover more details, but I felt if I didn't include the timeskip, the fanfic would turn out to be too long. I don't want it to go over 10 chapters ;(. Thank you for reading. Comments and feedback are heavily appreciated and I will do my best to get to them if any! <3 Feel free to ask questions and correct any spelling or grammar! :D

**Author's Note:**

> Hello,  
> Thank you for reading. This is the first fanfiction I will be writing with chapters. I'm used to writing one shots but I want to give it a try. I'll try to update often but I can't promise anything since I tend to be forgetful. I'll probably edit the tags as I go. Comments and feedback are highly appreciated and I will do my best to get to all of them. Please make sure to read the notes at the end of chapters.


End file.
